The baseball jumped off the bat of Eric Hosmer, and the race was on. The only questions: Would Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones chase down a drive in right-center field? Would Lorenzo Cain have enough speed to score from first base?
Both answers went the Royals’ way. Hosmer, once mired in a brutal April slump, came through with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth on Friday as the Royals secured a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium.
The moment was vintage Royals — a clutch hit from Hosmer, a feat of speed from Cain — and the combination delivered a fourth victory in five nights.